After 10 weeks, Mike Ehredt is nearing his finale finish of Project America Run. This Veterans Day, November 11th, 2012, ultra-runner and Army Veteran Mike Ehredt will finish Part II of Project America Run at the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, TX.

On that commemorative day, Mike will have run a total of 2,140 miles – the equivalent of 26 miles a day – from International Falls, MN to Galveston, TX for 81 consecutive days. He does it to honor our fallen US service members of the Afghanistan War. At each mile of his journey, Mike plants a small American flag in the ground, inscribed with the name, age, rank, and hometown of a fallen soldier we lost in Afghanistan.

In 2010 Mike completed Part I, in which he ran cross-country over 4,400 miles to honor those who died in Iraq. With the completion of Part II, his invisible wall of honor will grace over 6,500 miles of our country in a serene and humble show of gratitude. Throughout these two grueling runs, Mike has remained true to the purpose of this monumental endeavor. His goals were simple, yet humbling. With no political agenda, Mike has been able to say ‘Thank you’ to those soldiers who died serving our country.

On November 11th, at 11 o’clock, Mike invites us all to take 11 seconds to stop and remember all those we have lost, creating a virtual pledge of remembrance.

Project America Run, Part II has been attracting local, regional, and national attention since its beginning on August 23. The following video is a snapshot of Mike’s amazing journey thus far. Click to watch the latest recap of Mike’s Project America Run.

Mike’s journey is coming to a close. As he nears the beaches of Galveston this Veterans Day, the public is invited to commemorate his journey and join together in honor of Mike, Project America Run, and our fallen soldiers. The public will be able to run alongside Mike after he crosses the Galveston Causeway Bridge, up until the last mile, which Mike will complete on his own. There, runners will make their way down to the beach to greet and cheer for Mike as he completes the final mile. Click here for a detailed map of the afternoon’s route.

A public ceremony and celebration will be held immediately following Mike’s finish, along with honorary speakers. The day’s events will be held on Stewart Beach, near the junction of 6th Ave. and Seawall Blvd. at around 1:30 p.m.

For complete information on the Veterans Day finish, to learn more about Mike Ehredt, Project America Run, or to request an interview, please contact Coral Darby at coral@darbycommunications.com. A robust collection of videos documenting the last 3 months of Project America Run, Part II can be found on YouTube here.

One Life, One Flag, One Mile

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Amanda Jamrogiewicz is the web editor and race ambassador of Colorado Runner. Growing up in Minnesota and relocating to Colorado allowed Amanda to take her passion for running from the roads to the trails, competing in mountain and ultra events across the country.